These two towns, well known for their shopping opportunities, offer a wealth of history, interesting architecture and local talent.
Historically, today's Tonala was settled around 1530 as the location for the second site of the city of Guadalajara. The first was near Zacatecas and the last is its present location, nearby. When the larger settlement of Guadalajara, "river among the rocks" relocated several miles away, Tonala, "place where the sun rises" and its neighbor, Tlaquepaque, "high place" continued as small settlements. Over the years, they became popular craft centers, where artisans learned and perfected their crafts. The knowledge is passed down through the generations.
These two towns also became popular areas for wealthier city folks to build weekend retreats. Wandering through the streets, you can still see evidence of the grandeur of the homes of past eras. Taking a Charter Club Tour to Tonala and Tlaquepaque, our knowledgeable driver shared these and other interesting bits of history with our small group.
Then, to gain an appreciation of some of the work and artistry that goes into creating useful and collectible items, we visited a glass blowing workshop, a papier-mâché factory and a ceramics factory. We watched magical transformations take place before our very eyes. Brilliant colored ornaments, drinking glasses and vases were blown, drawn and shaped from the raw glass material.
At the Sermel Factory, using only cardboard, water, paper and glue/paste, wonderful animals and fanciful creations are created in papier-mâché. When dry, they are beautifully hand painted. The result is a mélange of very real looking giraffes, elephants, birds, mariachi bands and much more. Nearby, we followed the process of transforming lumps of clay into the well-known Ken Edwards signature ceramic ware, which is painstakingly hand painted.
Afterwards, we had time for a first hand look at results of talents perfected by these and other of the many artisans in the area. -Translation-We went shopping!! Great buys on all manner of things can be found at the Sunday and Thursday street market in Tonala and in the many tiny shops in both Tonala and Tlaquepaque. A great place for a refreshing beverage is the giant gazebo-like El Parian. This large square is encircled with restaurants where rivaling mariachis offer continuous serenades.
Each year on July 25th there is a huge fiesta here. It draws people from all over the country, including campesinos in their native costume to hear the mariachis, thought to have their origins here, watch the dancers and, no doubt, to sample some of Jalisco's world famous Tequila. If you're a people watcher, you won't want to miss this event.
Embracing our purchases of zebras, parrots and other items without which we couldn't live, our small group returned to Lakeside in the late afternoon. Some of us were already making plans for our next outing with Charter Tours.
Jan Carmony is with Malaika Alliance, S.A de C.V. She is a free-lance travel writer and professional travel planner, specializing in cruises, tours, African safaris and travel to unusual destinations. Jan has lived in the USA, England, Kenya and Mexico and is world traveled. She may be contacted by e-mail: or by mail at: Apdo. Postal 793, 45920 Ajijic, Jalisco, Mex.
